


The New Doctor

by CMA6725



Series: Of Men and Legends [12]
Category: Zorro (TV 1990)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Humor, People Change People, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:35:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29856120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMA6725/pseuds/CMA6725
Summary: Three months after Doctor Hernandez left the pueblo and Diego took over acting as its physician the new doctor arrives, changing the dynamic between the main characters of the show. Mainly humor but also some romance, angst and adventure.
Relationships: Diego de la Vega/Original Female Character(s), Ignacio de Soto/Original Female Character(s), Victoria Escalante/Diego de la Vega
Series: Of Men and Legends [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2177262
Kudos: 1





	1. The New Doctor and Zorro

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the characters, make no money out of this and only write for fun, but I do own the story and the OCs, so do not copy this without my permission. OCs can be used after slight negotiation.

It was early June and the pueblo of Los Angeles was ready to welcome their new doctor, fifth Spanish-speaking Yankee to move there, after Joshua Barnes - who had bought a plot from the De la Vegas some seven years earlier - and the three Nielsons -who were unlucky enough to buy some rocky land from the former alcalde, Luis Ramon, yet still managed to thrive.

De Soto had gotten used to Barnes and the Nielsons, even if he, obviously, despised them, for various reasons, but first and foremost for not being Spanish. At least, they paid their taxes on time and didn't cause him any trouble. The idea of a Yankee doctor, however, was rather upsetting to him since he was quite sure they would have trouble communicating with him, especially when it came to medical terms. However, since nobody else was willing to come replace Doctor Hernandez, he was, at least, happy that, with the new doctor in town, the obnoxious De la Vega would see his influence over the town folk decreasing once nobody would need his services anymore.

After the caballero had just given him a rather humiliating defeat in the trial he had agreed to just a few days earlier, proving himself a... more decent lawyer than Ignacio would have ever expected, he could just see the superiority with which Diego was looking at him, even when he wasn't looking.

"Had it not been for that arch being's interference again, he wouldn't have stood a prayer of a chance against me!" De Soto muttered at looking through his window into the plaza and noticing Diego dismount in front of the tavern.

With a sigh, Ignacio returned to his desk and started going through his latest report.

ZZZ

"Hola, Diego!" Victoria greeted as her friend entered the taproom and headed towards the bar behind which she was arranging some bottles.

"Good morning, Victoria!" He replied. "Have you, by chance, seen Sergeant Mendoza?"

"Today? Ah… No. The Alcalde sent him and half the garrison to San Pedro yesterday for something they referred to as 'the special delivery'. I don't think they are due back until this afternoon." She answered.

"I see." He replied pensively. "Have a good day, Victoria!" He wished her as he turned around to leave without granting her a second look.

The taverness watched him leave with a puzzled look, then turned her attention towards a client asking for a glass of juice.

ZZZ

"Give Father the note on top of the pile on the desk, should he inquire about my whereabouts. I shouldn't be out for more than half a day, but who knows? Fire three red-flame arrows should my presence be urgently needed." Diego instructed Felipe as he was changing clothes in the cave. "And get Esperanza inside when I leave. She's tied up outside the cave."

"Where are you going?" The younger man asked by signs.

"Mendoza and his men are to bring the new shipment of ammunition today." He answered just as he was tying up his mask. "I think I'd better be on the lookout, just in case."

With an "Adios!" Zorro exited the tavern and galloped west, while Felipe looked around and decided the cave needed some cleaning.

He, thus, took the broom and swept the floor, then, because dust was gathering in the air and he didn't want it to affect the ongoing experiments, he took a wet cloth and started dusting. About an hour later, after thoroughly cleaning every one of the instruments and glassware on Diego's work table, he decided that the desk needed some attention as well. However, as he was dusting, he accidentally caused the few envelopes there to fall, and the one on top slid under the worktable. Consequently, three hours later, when Don Alejandro asked about his son's whereabouts, Felipe gave him what he thought to have been the first envelope on top, but wasn't.

"He went to Santa Barbara? Now? How about his patients? And how about the new doctor? He'll barely make it back in time to greed him, if that! Do you have the key to the office?" Don Alejandro asked as Felipe looked at him wide-eyed, certain he had just made a mistake. Still, he simply nodded.

"Sometimes I just can't understand him! He could have chosen a better time to go for medical supplies than this! Or he could have sent someone else for them." Don Alejandro chided, then left, heading outside.

Felipe watched him go, then hurried to the cave, where he remained until his father returned.

"Nobody attacked the shipment, but I did catch a couple of bandits as they were robbing a Don Mateo and his wife." Diego uttered at taking off his mask, some three hours later, as he returned to the cave. "Is my father home?"

The younger man looked apologetically, then proceeded to explain what he had done.

"You mistakenly gave my father the wrong envelope? He thinks I'm on my way to… Santa Barbara?" The older man interpreted his signs.

Felipe nodded his head, then stared at the floor.

Diego just chuckled. "Well, in that case, I should just make the best of my time off!" He replied as he headed for his work table.

Felipe looked curiously at him.

"You'll make it up to me by keeping me fed… and visit my patients to make sure they are doing well. In the meanwhile, I think I can find a way to turn this mistake of yours to my advantage." He uttered with a smile.

ZZZ

"Buenas noches, Señorita!" The black-clad man uttered later that evening, as Victoria entered the kitchen.

"Zorro!" She exclaimed as he took out a single red rose to offer to her. She smiled as she took it and smelled the sweet perfume. "I just closed the tavern..." Victoria said with an inviting look, "and there are no overnight guests."

"Excellent. I was hoping we could have dinner together! Unless you've already eaten…"

"No… With all the clients I had this evening, I didn't have the time." She lied, a little disappointed that all he wanted was her food, instead of her lips.

"I'll set the table." He offered as he passed by her, heading towards the taproom.

Victoria turned to the worktable, a disappointed look on her face.

"Oh… I think I forgot something," Zorro muttered as he turned around just before exiting.

"You did?" She wondered as she also turned towards him.

"I forgot this." He answered, pulling her into his arms and leaning down to give her a kiss. "Delicious!" He stated as their lips parted, a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

The next moment, before Victoria could fully recover her breath, he was already searching for glasses behind the bar.

She smiled and put some of the leftovers on two plates. Then, remembering the rose, she put it in a small vase, then chose a bottle of wine and placed everything on a tray to carry them to the taproom.

In the meanwhile Zorro had covered the windows so that nobody would be able to see inside, and lit a few candles just before extinguishing the ones on the chandelier.

"How romantic!" Victoria teased as she saw everything he did.

"I thought we wouldn't want any interruption." He replied naturally.

The scene repeated for the following two days, as Diego spent his time reading and tending to his experiments during the day, and visiting Victoria in the evening. He felt like on a short vacation and took every advantage of it.

On the fourth day, Zorro went out to patrol the road from the port, mainly because he knew the new doctor was to come by the day's coach, Felipe having heard a lancer informing the Alcalde about it early that morning. He had been in the same spot for an hour already, surveilling the most dangerous part of the road, when he saw the stagecoach's horses galloping frantically off of the main road and towards a small canyon situated just a couple of miles northeast, in the direction they were heading. The driver seemed to have lost control over his horses, and, just like his passenger, was at their mercy.

With no time to lose, the black-clad man steered Tornado after the coach and reached it some five hundred feet later.

"I can't control them!" He heard the driver shout as soon as the man saw him.

"You're heading for a canyon!" Zorro warned but, since there was nothing the poor man seemed able to do to stop the speeding horses, he carefully stood up on Tornado and jumped on the back-right runner, finding the reins and pulling the horses to a stop.

"Señor Zorro!" The coachman exclaimed. "Gracias a Dios you were near! These horses had gone mad, and there is a canyon up ahead."

"That's what I said." The black-clad man remarked as he dismounted, heading for the carriage.

As he opened the door to check that the passengers were alright, a beautiful woman, no older than 29, with curly blond hair and beautiful blue eyes, fell down straight into his arms and looked at him puzzled.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" She asked just as she fainted.

Surprised, Zorro lifted and put her back in the coach.

"Is there no other passenger?" He asked the driver, as he was trying to help her regain her senses.

"No, Señor Zorro. Just the lady here. She's an American." Came the answer.

"But, the pueblo is expecting the new doctor to arrive today." Zorro replied, clearly disappointed.

"That's me!" The woman answered as she regained consciousness. "Why am I back in this coach?" She asked, puzzled by her surroundings. "I am never getting on one ever again, in my life!" She proceeded to declare.

"You... are the new doctor?" Zorro questioned. "But we were expecting a Señor Jessie Kent."

"No, you were expecting Doctor Jessie Kent, and that is me. Why you assumed I was a man I have no idea!" She answered.

"Forgive me, Doctor! I meant no offense." Zorro replied, a courteous smile on his face.

"And now that you know who I am, would you mind telling me who you are?" Her question came almost as an order.

"I am Zorro! Your humble servant, Doctor!"

"Zorro? I heard about you, but I thought you were a tale to scare off bandits. I could have sworn you were a figment of someone's imagination. I still am rather convinced you are, since I am pretty sure I bumped my head quite hard at some point during the last 10 minutes." She asserted, touching her forehead.

"I assure you, Doctor Kent, I am quite real." Zorro replied with a sly grin.

"You do look real enough! But, in that case, Señor, I have a feeling it will be I your humble servant since, given your life choices, sooner or later you are bound to need my services." She answered quite sure of herself. "And, considering that you will soon be in my debt, would you do me the small favor of taking me into town on your horse? I have no intention of getting back on this death trap!" She said, as she was pointing at the coach.

"It will be my pleasure, Doctor!" Zorro agreed with a smile. "Although, for your safety, I can only take you to the outskirts of the pueblo. My presence makes the soldiers and the esteemed Alcalde rather nervous, and they tend to misfire their guns, you see. I wouldn't want to put you in danger." He then added, fully aware the soldiers would be in the plaza waiting for the doctor together with the Alcade.

She climbed on the horse, sitting in front of him, and he brought her to the entrance of the pueblo. Once there, he helped her down, but not before the people, gathered in the plaza to receive the new doctor, noticed the scene.

"What is Zorro doing here, today, Mendoza?" The Alcalde asked. "And who is that woman with him?"

"I don't know, Alcalde!" The Sergeant answered, also looking inquisitively towards the new arrival as the black-clad man saluted and left, no soldier even considering pursuing him. "Maybe she is a lady friend of his."

"Sergeant, make sure you don't lose her from your sight! I must find out who that woman is and what is her relationship with that masked menace!" The Alcalde ordered.

That was an easy-enough mission for Mendoza as Jessie headed straight for the people gathered in the plaza where she arrived moments after the coach.

The Alcalde opened the door as the musicians started playing. "Welcome, Doctor Kent, to El Pueblo de Los Angeles!" He greeted the empty coach. "What is this?" He asked. "Driver, where is the Doctor?"

Meanwhile, Jessie, who was standing right next to him, started chuckling.

"Señora!" The Alcalde admonished at seeing her.

"I am sorry, Señor, but that was too funny not to laugh!" She replied.

"I am Alcalde Ignacio de Soto! Please introduce yourself, so that I know who I'll be putting in my jail for disrespecting a Royal official!" He asked infuriated.

She looked at him for almost half a minute, studying the man before her. He felt somehow embarrassed by her stare, and was glancing between her and Mendoza.

"Doctor Jessie Kent." She eventually replied, leaving everyone in awe.

"You can't be a doctor!" He answered. "You... you are a woman!"

"Fine way to state the obvious, Señor!" She replied sarcastically. "If I can't be a doctor because I am a woman, you can't be Alcalde because you have white hair! It makes just as much sense!"

As this exchange, which was soon to become more and more humiliating for the Alcalde, was taking place in the plaza, Zorro rode at full speed to the cave and hurriedly changed his clothes, then mounted Esperanza and headed towards the pueblo.

In the time it took him to get there, Jessie had thoroughly humiliated and utterly intimidated the Alcalde, then took Don Alejandro's offer to escort her to the medical office.

"What is this?" Jessie asked the don, looking at a sheet of paper with a list of names on it.

The list was carefully placed together with some tools for blood transfusion, a procedure most big hospitals were not practicing yet at the time since it was deemed too dangerous.

"I am not really sure, to be honest." Don Alejandro answered, not having yet been informed about that particular initiative. "You will have to ask my son, Diego, when he returns from Santa Barbara, later today. He has taken over the office while the town didn't have a doctor."

"Is your son a medicine man?" Jessie wondered.

"Diego? No... not exactly... But, as he says, 'he does know a little something', and, since there was no one else to step in, he agreed to do it." The don replied.

"So, for the past three months, the only man giving medical advice in this pueblo was a man with no medical education?" Jessie inquired, rather upset.

"Well, he did read a few medical books before volunteering, and he has had some experience at mending bullet wounds and broken legs. But, trust me, Doctor, Diego will be quite relieved to return to his normal jobs!" Don Alejandro told her.

"Normal jobs? May I ask what are his normal jobs?" She became intrigued.

"My son, Diego, is the editor of the town's newspaper, The Guardian, he is an amateur engineer of sorts, he sometimes acts as a lawyer... And, of course, he helps me run the ranch, tend to the animals, that sort of things. That is, when he is not busy composing some sonnet, painting or fiddling with one of his instruments." Came Don Alejandro's answer as he was, himself, just realizing how many things Diego was actually doing.

Jessie looked at him preoccupied. Such a busy man, she thought, could not have possibly found the time to offer reasonable medical assistance, not to mention, good medical assistance. That, of course, if what the don was saying was, in fact, true, and he was not just purposely exaggerating his son's accomplishments, as most fathers do. Imagining Diego, she decided he was no taller than his father, with glasses, and, probably, quite full of himself if he thought he could perform so many jobs at any reasonable level of adequacy.

ZZZ

At entering the town, Diego reasoned that, since he was supposed to have been gone for several days, nobody expected him to know that Jessie had already arrived, so he headed for the tavern where, before stepping through the door he heard the lancers loudly gossiping about the new arrival.

"Good afternoon, Don Diego!" Victoria greeted her friend.

"Buenas tardes, Victoria! Did I hear right? The new doctor arrived?" Diego replied.

"Yes! And guess what? Our new doctor is a woman!" She replied with a giggle.

"A woman? Really?" Diego faked being shocked by the news.

"And what a woman!" Mendoza intervened at hearing their discussion. "A very beautiful Señorita, Don Diego!"

"Who already managed to annoy the Alcalde!" Victoria emphasized.

"How did she do that if she just arrived?" The tall caballero inquired.

"By putting him in his place!" Victoria answered with a smile on her face that made Diego regret that he had not witnessed the scene

"I would be very careful not to upset her!" Mendoza cautioned. "She is not like the women around here!"

"Really, Sergeant?" Diego asked. "Well, maybe I should go meet this wondrous creature." He stated as he bowed his head slightly at Victoria and headed for the tavern's doors.

"Good luck, Don Diego!" Mendoza wished him seriously, watching Diego exiting the tavern.

ZZZ

Diego was a little surprised at seeing his father as he entered the doctor's office, the same in which he had spent a large part of the last three months.

"Buenas tardes!" He greeted.

"Diego! Son, allow me to introduce you to our new doctor, Señorita Jessie Kent. Doctor, this is my son, Diego." Don Alejandro made the introductions

"Pleased to meet you, Doctor Kent!" Diego answered as he bowed to kiss her hand, his face not betraying any bit of the surprise she was expecting to find there.

Jessie studied the caballero from head to toe, just as she had previously done with the Alcalde.

"You are a handsome one, aren't you?" She couldn't stop herself from voicing out, surprised by the fact that he looked nothing like she had imagined. Her remark, however, made the two men stare at each other, confused whether that was a rhetorical question or she was, perhaps, expecting an answer. "So, you are responsible for all this equipment, here?" She continued, pointing at the medical tools and medicines carefully arranged in the office ignoring the looks on the two men's faces.

"Not at all, Doctor." Diego replied, happy she had changed the subject. "It was left by our former physician, Doctor Hernandez. I merely added a few pieces to it."

"If you'll excuse me," Don Alejandro interrupted, in his head already planning his son's wedding to the beautiful new doctor who saw his son as handsome as he was, "I will take my leave since I still have some business to attend to. A good day, Doctor Kent! And feel free to keep Diego as long as you need him. There's not much to do today at the hacienda."

"A good day, Don Alejandro!" Jessie replied, then turned back at Diego. "And this list? What is its purpose?" She continued her line of questions, expecting it to reflect some sort of payment arrangement.

"Well, since we do not lack for people getting shot here, in Los Angeles, and some die because of blood loss," Diego started to explain, "I have been doing some research on blood transfusion."

He then proceeded to explain his research and discoveries as Jessie's opinion of him was continuously growing; then informed her about the purpose of the list and she agreed that it was, indeed, a very good idea.

"I have also left you detailed instructions of my research on blood, and I am happy to offer you the microscope I have used as a welcome gift."

"That is very generous of you, Don Diego. And is this what I think it is?" She wondered, taking a type of very thin string.

"It is a self-absorbing string for internal sutures. I made it by applying some ideas I found in one of my books." Diego answered, making her even more intrigued with him.

"And you did all this without any medical training?" She continued her line of inquiry.

"Well, I have always liked chemistry, I know a little medicine… and I read a lot. As editor of the local newspaper I do keep myself informed about the new discoveries in all sciences." He told her modestly.

"I see..." Jessie replied. "Well, Señor, this conversation has been most enlightening."

"Glad to have been of service. Should you need me for any reason, my family's hacienda is about two miles north of the pueblo, and my newspaper office, The Los Angeles Guardian, is just next to the tavern." Diego said. "I wish you a pleasant afternoon ... and welcome to the pueblo!" He added with a smile, taking his leave.

"A good afternoon to you too, Señor De la Vega!" She wished him as he exited her office, just as four of the lancers were carrying in her luggage.

ZZZ

Diego left the medical office and headed for the tavern, where he had a drink with some of the other caballeros there, since his father had already left the pueblo. About an hour later, he eventually returned home, stabled Esperanza, and entered the hacienda.

"So, Diego, how did it go?" Don Alejandro asked as soon as he saw him come in.

"With the doctor?" He asked. "Well, I showed her everything and informed her about my research. I'm sure she'll be just fine!"

"No… Son… I mean… Never mind! Diego, you are hopeless!" Don Alejandro uttered as he raised his hands in surrender, then headed outside to find his vaqueros.

Diego watched him leave with a sly smile as his adopted son, who was with Don Alejandro in the library as he entered, came to ask what that was all about.

"I think my father is hoping I might decide to court the new doctor." He told Felipe. "I'll be in my room with one of the new books." He then informed him.

The younger man smiled and nodded, then returned to his own reading.


	2. The New Doctor and the very busy days

Jessie spent most of the day of her arrival in her office. Unlike Doctor Hernandez, who had his own house, she had agreed to occupy the small accommodations offered to her by the pueblo when she accepted the position. It consisted of two rooms, a bathroom, and a small kitchen. The first of the rooms had been transformed into a medical office, its walls filled with shelves filled with medical equipment, herbs and all sorts of jars containing medicines. In the middle of the room was a high cot, an armchair and, right next to them, a desk and a wooden chair. The other room, which was double the size of the first, included two beds, a small laboratory, and was separated in two by a curtain. On the far side of the room, next to the second, larger bed, there was also a wardrobe and a drawer.

"No mirror anywhere!" She uttered just to herself. "I'll have to buy quite a few things…"

After inspecting the office and noticing that every jar was labeled and instructions on the administration of teas and medicines were easily-found on the desk, she started unpacking her things.

A while later, realizing she hadn't eaten since early morning, she headed to the tavern for dinner.

"What may I offer you, Doctor?" Victoria asked rather coldly. Jessie was beautiful and, no doubt, intelligent and well educated, thus quite a competition for her, she believed, thinking of Zorro.

"Just something light. A salad perhaps?" Jessie answered.

"A salad?" Victoria seemed almost insulted. She was the greatest cook in the territory – as Diego often mentioned – and a salad required no cooking at all. "I am afraid we don't serve salad, Señorita!"

"Jessie! You may call me Jessie. And you are?"

"Victoria Escalante. I am the owner of this tavern." The young woman answered rather crossly.

"Well, Victoria, in that case, just bring me whatever you have nice in the kitchen." Jessie replied, with a kind smile on her face.

"Very well... Jessie!" Victoria's smile was a bit forced, as she was not yet decided on how to react to the woman's friendliness and what she perceived as impoliteness.

Right as Victoria was about to make her way to the kitchen to prepare the plate, the Alcalde entered and sat at his usual table. He frowned as he realized he was sitting just one table away from the young doctor, facing her, but decided to ignore her. She just stared at him with a mocking smile on her face,

"Señorita Escalante!" He called the taverness. "Carne asada, por favor!"

"Right away, Alcalde!" Victoria answered, and headed for the kitchen to prepare the two plates, leaving the two staring at each other.

Seeing that Jessie was looking straight at him, the Alcalde stared back, but soon found himself avoiding her gaze, a reaction which made her smile broader.

"Victoria," Jessie asked as the woman brought her food, "would you mind terribly taking a break and sitting with me? I would be grateful for the company."

The taverness hesitated, but she was quite aware that the young woman knew no one in the pueblo, most men seemed already intimidated by her, and there was a part of her kind heart which both pitied and admired her.

"I guess I can take a small break." The taverness accepted. "Pilar, would you mind taking the orders?" She asked her helper, who was at the bar.

"Not at all!" The woman answered with a smile.

"So, is it just us or are there more?" Jessie started the conversation as soon as she sat down.

"Us?" Victoria looked at her puzzled.

"You know... the women who don't accept men dictating what they should or not do. You are clearly a businesswoman, which I assume is not often seen in such a small community; you are unmarried, despite being both beautiful and a great cook - the food is delicious, by the way; and I have the feeling that you can put a man in his place." Jessie uttered.

Victoria smiled and was about to reply when the other woman continued.

"Now," Jessie asked, encouraged by her new friend's grin, "can you tell me what I did to upset you?"

"Upset me?" Victoria questioned.

"I know I have different customs than you. I am straightforward and my behavior may seem offensive to some, but I was forced to adapt to a world dominated by men who thought they were better than me.

"My father had a certain influence at the Spanish Court. He intermediated some more delicate issues Spain and the United States needed to settle in what was a very complicated historical period. Had it not been for the King's favorable impression of him, I wouldn't have even been given the chance to attend university. And when I was given that chance, I had to prove that I was ten times better than my fellow students, just to receive the same respect they received for just being men.

"Don't get me wrong, though. I am not complaining. But it hardened me, I guess, and it also made me quite perceptive to others and to their moods.

"So, since I would like to befriend at least another young woman in this pueblo, how about we start on the right foot by you telling me what exactly did I do to upset you?" Jessie clarified her question. "I can't rectify it if I don't know."

Victoria considered what to say. She could certainly see why Mendoza, as well as others, was already nervous around the Doctor.

"Zorro…" Victoria started, wondering how much should she say. "I... I saw him bringing you to town. You should know he is already spoken for!" She decided to say, imagining that Jessie, just like most other women in Los Angeles, and not only, found her black knight quite irresistible.

"Zorro? Do you know who he is?" The Doctor asked, not realizing she was upsetting Victoria.

"No one knows who Zorro is! All we know is that he is the most amazing man in California, and one day, when tyranny and injustice will be a thing of the past, he will take off that mask and we will all be able to properly thank him for all that he has done for us." Victoria answered with a dreamy expression on her face.

"You're in love with him!" Jessie realized. "Hm… Tall, masked and heroic is really not my type, Victoria. You have nothing to worry about! So if that is the only impediment for us becoming friends, I can assure you I am not interested." She told the taverness with a candid smile. "However, there is a man I would certainly care to know more about."

"What man?" Victoria wondered, grateful for Jessie's assurance, undecided if to actually believe it, yet also intrigued to find out what man the doctor considered more interesting than Zorro.

"Diego de la Vega." Came the answer.

"Diego?" Victoria inquired, confused, as if to convince herself she had heard right.

"Yes. The man seems most fascinating!" Jessie confirmed.

"You find Diego de la Vega fascinating?" Victoria wondered incredulously.

"I most certainly do! I want to know all about him!" Jessie assured her.

ZZZ

The morning after she had first arrived to the pueblo, Jessie woke up early, washed, got dressed and went to the tavern for breakfast.

She returned to her office about half-an-hour later. Some thirty minutes after that, she received her first patient. It was an older man who had badly injured his arm a week earlier, and had come to see if he could finally use it again, since he needed to return to his work as soon as possible. Jessie took off the bandage and, after examining the wound concluded that it was healing very well, but still needed at least one more week.

"That's exactly what Don Diego said. I thought you might decide differently." The man said with some disappointment in his voice.

Jessie smiled, re-bandaged him and bid him goodbye, just as a child came in with a splinter in his finger, accompanied by a friend.

"Can I see Don Diego?" The little boy asked.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but he is not here. I'm Doctor Kent. If you want, I can help." She answered with a smile.

The boy looked at his friend.

"I guess you don't have a choice! Unless you want to lose your finger or die of blood loss!" The other child said.

"It's not even bleeding! I… I think I will wait for Don Diego." The 'injured' replied.

"It might take a long time. Plus, I'm sure I can do even better than him!" She stated.

The boy hesitated, but agreed to let her have a look.

"Don Diego always makes us put the finger in cold water and we don't feel a thing!" The boy's friend said as Jessie was preparing to take the splinter out.

She grinned and poured some cold water in a glass.

Five minutes after her two small clients left with smiles on their faces, a mother came with her baby. The child had been ill with fever and Diego had prescribed her some teas but, since he had been gone for several days the past week – or, at least, that was what people thought – she just wanted some assurance that it was fine for her to continue with the teas.

Jessie asked her what she had been giving her baby girl, then examined her to find that she was, indeed, heeling and was already out of danger.

By the end of the day, all she had done, was to confirm Diego's diagnoses and treatments. Wondering if that was a good or a bad thing, she went to bed rather troubled.

Barely did she have time to close her eyes when she heard someone knocking on the front door.

Putting on a robe, she opened and found herself face-to-face with a young Indian boy.

"We need your help, Doctor!" He uttered. "At the Mission!" He added.

"What happened?" She asked.

"My grandmother Gabriela. She has been complaining of pains below the belly for a few days, but now it suddenly became much worse. The Padre fears she might be dying." He answered.

Jessie hurriedly got dressed, then took a medical bag she found half-full, adding to its medicines some of the medical supplies from the office that she believed she might need then followed the boy to the horse he rode there, and they left together.

After she had arrived at her destination, she spent the rest of the night operating on the woman, who had appendicitis. The padre tried to assist her but he was a far cry from a good assistant since he had no idea what she was asking for when she did. Since she was expecting, quite rightly, for the woman to develop a fever, the surgery having been performed later than it would have been indicated, she decided to remain there the following day, so that she could supervise her patient. Thus, as morning came, she wrote a note to be nailed to her office, and asked for someone to take it to town. The same young Indian boy volunteered. However, when he returned some three hours later, he recounted that a lancer had been severely injured, and that she needed to return to the pueblo to care for him.

After instructing the Padre what to do to help the feverish woman, she, thus, gratefully accepted a horse and headed into town.

The soldier had fallen off his steed while he and several others were tracking Zorro through a ravine. As a result, he had a head injury and a broken arm. Diego, who had been called to help until Jessie arrived, had been doing his best to handle the head wound, which was bleeding rather badly, and required stitches, yet didn't dare do more than try to limit the blood loss when it came to the broken arm, since it needed surgery.

A little later, while Jessie was operating on the arm, Diego proving to be a great assistant, two more people came to the medical office, one with a rattlesnake bite, and another complaining of abdominal pains after eating some mushrooms.

Lacking another choice, she asked the caballero to take over the two new patients, while she was doing her best to continue the surgery by herself. By the time she finished, Diego had also finished providing help to the other two other men, and was prescribing some teas they needed to take in order to rid their bodies of the poisons as soon as possible.

"Thank you for your help, Don Diego!" She smiled gratefully at him after the two men left, a little better than they had come, yet assured they would pull through.

He just nodded with a kind smile. "It's not usually this hectic around here, Doctor." He felt the need to reassure her. "How is Private Arenas doing?"

"We'll see. It was a bad injury, though. The damage to the nerves is what's worrying me. I did everything possible, but I'm not sure it was enough. He might never regain full use of his arm again." She replied pensively and thought to see a flicker of guilt on Diego's face, even if only for a few moments. "Now I need to have the lancers take him to the barracks, and instruct them on how to properly care for him, then return to the Mission to check on my patient there." She replied.

"Of course." Diego smiled and, about ten minutes later, after helping her clean the office, he headed for the tavern.

ZZZ

"Hola, Victoria!" He greeted the taverness as he entered.

"Don Diego…" She replied rather coldly.

"Is there something wrong?" He wondered.

"No. Nothing. What could be wrong?" She answered.

Diego looked at her with a sly smile and raised eyebrows.

"Orange juice?" She asked.

He nodded, so she poured him a glass.

"I… I hear you have an admirer." She stated, trying to sound casual.

"Really? And who might that be?" Diego asked.

"Well, the Doctor, of course. Apparently, she finds you fascinating." Victoria stated, staring intently at him.

"Does she?" He asked, faking naiveté about both her insinuation and her disguised jealousy.

Victoria continued staring, her face daring him to admit he was enjoying the attention.

He was enjoying the attention, but not Jessie's. For once, he was not competing against himself for the attentions of the woman he loved, but, instead, it was she who felt threatened by the new doctor. It gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.

"Well, she is a fascinating woman, herself. I must admit I've never known one who became a doctor before." Diego answered, faking not to notice Victoria's glare.

The taverness slammed the pitcher she was holding on the bar, gave him a displeased look, then headed for the kitchen.

I'll pay for this when I'll finally marry her! He thought with some amusement as he watched her leave, then raised his glass to take another sip of the juice, and headed for a table at which some caballeros were sitting.

ZZZ

Later that afternoon, after she had the wounded lancer taken to his quarters and left some willow bark tea with his companions, as well as indications on how to administer it, Jessie left for the Mission to check on the Indian woman. Her patient had developed a bad fever, and Jessie feared the worse.

"You look exhausted, Doctor Kent!" The Padre remarked at seeing her a while later, as she stepped out of the room for a few minutes, to get some fresh air and try to remember a potion which might help.

"I am, Padre! I don't know how Don Diego and Doctor Hernandez, before him, did this! It's impossible to be everywhere at the same time!" She answered as she sat down next to him.

"It was just a bad day. Most of them aren't like this. But, to be fair, Doctor Hernandez did have Don Diego's help for a while. Then, when Doctor Hernandez left and Don Diego took over, he could always count on his son, Felipe." Padre Benitez told her.

"I admit I was lucky he was in the pueblo when I got there, and handled some of the patients who came in this afternoon." She told him. "Don Diego, I mean. I didn't know he had a son… Padre, are you saying that I need… help?" She wondered.

"We all do, my child." The good man answered.

"And you think Don Diego might consider continuing with medicine? Because I doubt he'll want to return to it on a regular basis, especially with all the other things he is doing. His father mentioned a rather long list of activities keeping him busy."

"Diego, as you'll find out, is more than willing to help others, in any way he can, whenever his help is needed. He's also avid to learn, and lacking much of your knowledge. For example, while he can extract bullets, suture a wound, has good knowledge of Indian remedies and a mind for science - which helped him with that incredible issue of blood groups - he is not exactly very knowledgeable when it comes to more complex surgeries and diseases afflicting human beings."

"Well… I guess I'll have to think about it. Right now, I need to figure out something to help Senora Gabriela fight that infection, or her fate might be sealed!" Jessie muttered.

"I remember… Doctor Hernandez recounted for me once that Zorro had, at some point, helped him recover an ingredient he then used to make a potion for Don Alejandro. He had been shot and developed a very bad fever. I think the ingredient he mentioned was… maguey sap, if I'm not mistaken." The padre told her.

"Maguey sap? I do remember seeing that on a list Don Diego had left in my office. It's not exactly a medicine we were taught about at the university, but one never does stop learning, right? Let me see if I took it with me!" As she did that, Jessie had the pleasant surprise to realize that a small bottle containing the substance in question had been left by Diego in one of the pockets of the bag she had taken, together with a page of notes detailing recipes for several potions, including the one Doctor Hernandez had successfully used when dealing with infections.

The following day, Jessie Kent decided to take the Padre's advice, especially since, remembering his words, she realized that Diego's knowledge could very well complement her own. Thus, after a second night of almost no rest, she, once more, borrowed a horse from the Mission, then headed to the pueblo to see about the lancer, wash and change her clothes. After that, she headed towards the De la Vega hacienda to propose a partnership to the caballero.

She arrived there just as Don Alejandro had come up with the idea of having a dinner party in her honor, so that she might know some of the De la Vega friends, and secretly hoping that it might give his son the opportunity to start courting her.

The tall caballero, who ignored his father's attempts to set the two of them up, did not, however, have to think for too long before accepting Jessie's proposal, realizing, by her tired eyes, that she truly needed some help. He also liked the idea of learning from her, and sensed in Jessie a kindred spirit, just as avid for learning as he was.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

AN: Just a quick note on Maguey sap – while mentioned in the episode "Honor thy father" as an ingredient for a potion able to help Don Alejandro, it's merely a sweetener. I guess it sounded exotic enough and completely safe should kids watching the show decide to use it in some experiment.


	3. The New Doctor and the Humiliathon

The following day's party at the De la Vega hacienda was spoiled, unfortunately, by some bandits who tried to free their leader, captured that very day by De Soto's man. As they made it out of the garrison, they also injured three of the lancers. The Alcalde, thus, sent Mendoza to the hacienda to get the doctor and, as she came, so did Diego and Felipe since, as she realized, they were somewhat of a 'package deal' - meaning that, instead of one partner, she actually got two.

After the lancers received the proper care, the caballero and his son hurriedly left, mentioning that they wanted to, at least, say goodbye to their guests. Jessie headed for her room behind the medical office, hoping to get some sleep. She only got four hours.

Around 2 a.m., Zorro showed up with the bandits and De Soto, as per his normal routine, ordered his men to shoot him, thus waking up the entire pueblo.

Two days later, Jessie's sleep was cut short around 1 a.m., the lancers being again ordered to shoot the black-clad man when he delivered two horse thieves to the garrison.

A day after that, De Soto decided to imprison a traveling merchant, whom he accused of being an outlaw, since he bore a mild resemblance with a wanted man he saw on one of his posters. Diego, Don Alejandro, Victoria and several other people, including Mendoza, tried to convince him he was mistaken, but, as usual, the Alcalde decided that they were wrong and he was right, for which reason he asked the Sergeant to form a firing squad at dawn.

Consequently, Zorro felt the need to act and, since he was expecting that De Soto might consider he'd come and would, in turn, lay out a trap for him, he showed up at four in the morning, when even the most vigilant of the lancers were already asleep.

Unfortunately, one of the men woke up at an inopportune time and gave the alarm. In the general panic which ensued, the Alcalde shot at his nemesis and heard a short scream of pain. Certain he had finally managed to injure Zorro, he thus, decided to organize a search party, convinced that he would finally manage to capture the masked outlaw.

The gunfire and the shouts coming from the garrison, once more, ended up waking up most of the pueblo. Those who, somehow, managed to sleep through it all, were woken up when the Alcalde ordered a thorough search of all the houses and the tavern.

As that was going on outside, Zorro and the merchant made their way to the doctor's office through her room's window. She was already dressed, since, once her sleep was interrupted, she rarely could return to it.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Doctor!" The masked outlaw uttered as she gave a surprised sigh at seeing them. "But Señor Navara here," he said, indicating the man he had just rescued, "was shot and is in need of your help."

The young woman stood up and headed for the black-clad man's companion, who had received a bullet wound to his shoulder.

"It's not very bad." She assured him, after taking off his shirt in order to examine the injury. "But you will need a few stitches and will have to spare your arm for about two weeks." Just then they heard the lancers knocking on the door. "Take him to the other room!" She asked the masked man. "I'll get rid of them, and be right there."

As Zorro did as instructed, she hurriedly put on her robe and pretended to have just woken up.

"What?" She asked at opening the door and finding herself face-to-face with De Soto.

"We'll need to search these premises. Please step aside, Doctor!" He indicated.

"Why?" She inquired.

"We are looking for Zorro and an escaped convict." He replied as people were already crowding the plaza at having found out that their hero had been injured, wondering if De Soto was to finally capture him. "I shot that masked fiend and we know he's still in the pueblo. Since he's not at the tavern, where we expected to find him, it stands to reason that he might be here. So please step aside, and let us do our duty!" The Alcalde insisted.

"Your duty? Is your duty to wake me up every night with this nonsensical chase for Zorro? Had it not been for the man you are looking for how many of your lancers would be dead right now? You, don't care, do you? It is I and Diego who are requested to fix them every time you place them in danger, and it's always Zorro who actually does their job anyway. But you have the audacity to pretend that it's your duty to defile my house and office while you're on one of your wild goose chases? Do you even realize that I know how to paralyze a man by adding two drops of a certain poison in a glass of wine… and I will do it unless you let me sleep at night!?" She wondered.

De Soto gulped at her. "A… Are you threatening an official, Señorita?"

"Oh, no! I am just warning you about what I can do." As she was making her point, she took a few steps out of her office, causing De Soto to back away. "But, trust me, if or when I'll decide that I've had it with you… nobody will even suspect it was me to put an end to your career. So, I'd suggest you do the smart thing and get yourself, and your men to bed. Perhaps that's why you're acting so irrational! You are sleep-deprived, just like I seem to be because of you! And, in the future, remember that this office is sacred ground as far as you are concerned!"

The look on her face assured the Alcalde that she was not in any mood to be trifled with so, after an embarrassed glance at the gathered crowd of chuckling people, he looked again at the rather small, yet fearsome woman in front of him. Then, he ordered his men to return to the cuartel.

"That was very brave of you, Doctor!" The masked outlaw said appreciatively as Jessie returned to her room and started tending to the wounded man.

Jessie just smiled wickedly and nodded. "You should go, Señor Zorro." She then told him. "I'll take care of Señor Navara, and the Alcalde will not dare send his men to look for him here."

The two men exchanged a glance. "Very well." Zorro answered. "I'll be on my way, then. Gracias for your help, Doctor Kent!"

Jessie watched him leave and resumed her work with a sigh. "I never imagined such a small pueblo would be so… animated." She confessed to her patient. "All I wanted was a quiet, country life."

ZZZ

The following day a lancer from San Diego arrived with the information that the man who the merchant was confused with had been captured, for which reason the garrisons were asked to remove the posters offering a reward for him.

Jessie was in the tavern, sharing her lunch with Diego, Felipe and Don Alejandro. As soon as she heard the news, she made her way towards the garrison, the De la Vegas on her heels.

"Well, Alcalde, I believe you owe me money!" She informed De Soto while he was supervising Mendoza, who was taking the poster down.

"What for?" He wondered curiously.

"For treating the man you shot!" She answered bluntly.

Diego and Felipe exchanged a worried glance, fearing Jessie might be the next one in need of help escaping prison.

"You treated Zorro?" De Soto asked as his eyes widened.

"Of course not, considering it was not him you shot last night, but Señor Navara!" The doctor answered defiantly. "And I also believe you owe him some compensation for all the harm you have caused!"

"You harbored a fugitive? I should have you arrested!"

"I treated a man who did nothing wrong, and whom you should have never been misguided enough to arrest!" Jessie replied defiantly. "Now, my treatment of the injury is 30 pesos, to which I'll have to add some three nights of hospitalization, until I can be certain that there is no more danger of infection and that the wound has closed properly, that's 30 more pesos including the food and drinks for my patient, and the medicines, bandages, et cetera, 10 more pesos. That amounts to 70 pesos. How do you want to pay?"

The Alcalde stared at her and just blinked fast a few times, unable to believe this was happening, especially in the middle of the plaza.

"You charged less than half of that to treat all my wounded lancers so far!" He replied.

"Did I? How good of you to remind me I made such a mistake with the calculations. Let's see… 4 injured lancers, one rather bad injury… plus medicines… that should have amounted to… 160 pesos. Minus the 30 you already paid me, plus the 70 for Señor Navara, you thus owe me 200 pesos!" She calculated.

"But… But… Don Diego operated on one of them, and he never charged me any money…"

"Well, now he works with me, and I set the prices! Perhaps you'll think twice before acting in the future. My money!" She asked, holding out her hand.

"I… I…"

"Don't tell me you can't afford my services! That would certainly be embarrassing!" She mocked as the gathered crowd chucked.

De Soto shook his head, and, as in a daze, made his way inside his office, took some money out of his private reserve and returned with it, handing the small bag to the doctor.

"I'll go count them!" She said.

"Ah… no, you don't need to. There's 150 pesos in there. The rest I'll give you after I am sure Señor Navera is properly taken care of." He tried to save face, considering he didn't have the rest of the money right then, unless taking it from Zorro's reward.

"I sure hope you'll have it by the time I'll allow him to leave the bed he is confined to!" She replyed. "And don't forget you'll also have to compensate Señor Navera, as the law demands!"

"What law?" De Soto asked.

"The King passed it right before I left Spain. All those unjustly imprisoned are to be compensated by those found guilty of the mistake. And if a man is unjustly executed, the widow or his family has the right to demand for the man passing the sentence to either suffer a similar fate or take his place as provider for them." She lied rather convincingly.

"I've never heard of such a law!" The Alcalde uttered quite worriedly.

"I did hear something about it the last time I've been to Santa Barbara." Diego helped her from the tavern's porch, realizing her bluff. "But I haven't seen it either, I must admit. I think the official information about it just hasn't reached California yet. It probably will shortly."

Several other people witnessing the scene started muttering between themselves.

De Soto swallowed hard and, with no more words, returned to his office.

Jessie looked at her partner with a smile and saw a similar one on his lips, a conspiratorial exchange which bothered Victoria, who, despite having found the doctor's actions as brave as everyone else, just stomped from the porch and headed towards the kitchen.

ZZZ

A few days later, Zorro, once more, made an appearance in Los Angeles, this time to try to reason with two men who were about to shoot each other in a duel because their teenage children were in love, and they didn't approve the match.

The Alcalde exited his office, lancers on his heels, right as the masked outlaw was making his exit out of the pueblo and started shouting at Mendoza to track him down.

Jessie exited her office right as he was giving his orders.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" She asked him, folding her hands across her chest and crossing the plaza towards him.

He gave her a puzzled glance.

"I don't mind, of course, getting paid to fix your lancers, but, thus far, you still owe me some 50 pesos, and at least 100 to Señor Navara."

De Soto just stared at her, his mind doing calculations.

"I was just wondering what's the use of you spending the money since everyone knows very well by now that you stand no chance of capturing Zorro, and this is all pointless." Jessie continued.

"She's right! How many times have you tried and failed? Mendoza almost got killed once, and several of the other lancer on other occasions. You are just wasting our tax money!" Victoria supported Jessie, giving her a grateful glance.

De Soto puffed, but had to admit they were right. And he didn't have any more money to spend on the doctor's services until the next payroll arrived from Monterey.

"Sergeant! I want you and your men ready to give chase the next time he comes to the pueblo. Today, I fear he's got too much of an advantage already…" De Soto muttered, then stomped back into his office.

Mendoza smiled gratefully at the doctor and at the taverness, glad he wouldn't have to spend the day pretending to be chasing the man he most admired in his life, and, instead, be able to take his siesta in his own bed.

ZZZ

It was a beautiful Wednesday, a little over two weeks after the new doctor had arrived, and Diego spent the morning at the newspaper, finishing and printing the newest edition with Felipe's help.

By that time, Jessie was no longer as busy, and all her patients were getting better. Señor Navara had already left, rather glad about the hundred pesos Jessie, with Diego's support, forced the Alcalde to give him as compensation for his troubles, despite that information about the new law she mentioned had not arrived. And, after that night when she had sent the entire garrison to bed, there were no more night shootings, pursuits and searches, so she was finally getting a quiet, peaceful life, as she had always wanted.

After spending the morning visiting the injured lancers, as usual, and tending to a couple of new patients, Jessie headed for the tavern to have a late lunch, and was pleasantly surprised to see Diego and Felipe were there, sharing a table with Mendoza.

"May I join you?" She asked as she took the seat next to her partner.

"Of course!" The caballero uselessly answered as Victoria was bringing out their meals.

"Buenas tardes, Jessie!" The taverness greeted her. "What may I get for you?"

"Some arroz con pollo, please, Victoria! And some coffee." She answered with a smile.

"I'll be right back." She promised.

"Is this the new edition of the paper?" The Doctor wondered as she saw a copy next to Felipe.

"The last copy I have. I only printed 40 today and they sold rather fast." The caballero answered as the young woman reached to have a look.

At about the same time De Soto came for his lunch and, uncharacteristically, smiled at the caballero, after which he found a table, patiently waiting to be served, his back at Diego and Jessie. Meanwhile, the Doctor reached the poetry section of the paper and started smiling.

"I can't believe you've published this!" She told her partner as she started reading out loud.

"From dawn till dusk, compadres/ The Royal lancer rides/ Through hills, valley and ravines/ The faithful Kingsman walks" She read the first strophe. "Does he walk or does he ride? Maybe whoever wrote this, should have decided beforehand."

Jessie knew who had written it since the name of the author was just under the poem, but humiliating him was her favorite pastime at that point.

"Nor rain, or snow, or summer heat/ Will stop him in his way/ And bandits tremble at his sight/ For they will be his prey." She continued reading. "They run, and hide, and call for help/ Whenever they see him/ Not even Zorro will escape/ The mighty lancer's aim." She finished with some chuckles. "I'm sure Zorro won't escape after reading this! He'll die of laughter! Who paid you to publish this sad excuse for poetry?" She then asked Diego in a loud voice which resounded throughout the tavern. "Oh, never mind! I see he was brave enough to put his name to it. Very well done, Alcalde! I had no idea you were also a comedian! You should write more and send them to a publisher. At the least, they will make his day! Or was this the most brilliant trap you've come up with so far to get rid of Zorro? Because, who knows? You might just succeed if he bought a copy!" She addressed De Soto.

The tavern erupted in laughter, and the official, feeling insulted but unable to think of anything to say since the woman seemed increasingly intimidating, just stood up, glared at her and at her companion, and left the tavern deciding he'd rather have his lunch in the office.

Later that afternoon, after the lancers had confiscated all the papers Diego had printed, as the caballero was sharing a drink with the doctor, both immersed in a conversation about a new scientific discovery nobody but them seemed to understand, a lancer came to their table.

"Don Diego," he muttered, "the Alcalde asks for you to return the other poems he had given you for publication."

"Really? Why? He's been asking me to publish them since last month." Diego pretended to be at a loss to understand De Soto's reasons.

"He just said that they are too… 'esteric' I think he said…"

"Esoteric," Diego corrected.

"Yes, that… for the crude sensibilities of this pueblo." The lancer continued.

"I see. Well, I am sorry to hear that. Please tell Ignacio I will be bringing them myself a little bit later. I promised to let the Doctor see them, so I'll bring them right after I'll have fulfilled my promise." The caballero told the lancer - who nodded and returned to the garrison - then shared an amused smile with Jessie.

"Don Diego!" They heard De Soto's voice just a minute later, as he hurriedly made his way through the doors. "I demand that you return my property right away!" He said, glaring at both the caballero and at the Doctor.

"Of course, Ignacio! I didn't realize it was that urgent for you to have your poems back. It's a… shame you don't want me to publish them anymore." He answered with fake regret.

"Now, Diego! Please!" De Soto uttered in a tone that was both begging and demanding at the same time.

The caballero decided to stop torturing him for the moment, and soon returned with the sheets of paper he had received from his former schoolmate. The Alcalde took them and left furiously, without a salute.

"I can show you the copies." Diego told Jessie with a wink as he returned to the table.


	4. The New Doctor and the Alcalde's Broken Leg

Three weeks passed since the arrival of the new doctor, three weeks in which Jessie Kent had been the main topic of conversation in the pueblo. Most people took a liking to her, as the young woman treated all her patients with the utmost care and respect, only rarely accepting compensation for her services, and only from people who could afford it. Having convinced the young De la Vega to be her partner, and proving one of Zorro's most astute allies also helped her gain the people's trust.

Not everyone felt the same, though. The Alcalde, for one, was increasingly annoyed and, at the same time, feeling quite vulnerable in front of the young woman. Victoria was still unsure how to feel about her, especially since she did not particularly appreciate the attention the De la Vega heir was paying her, but certainly appreciated the help she was providing to the man she loved. Mendoza and most of the lancers were intimidated by her even if she always tried to be as kind and gentle as possible in treating them.

As for Diego himself, the caballero was happy to have finally found someone in the pueblo who appreciated knowledge as much as he did and with whom he could have endless, but fascinating discussions about many of the subjects he was interested in. He was also rather amused to see the woman he loved jealous because of his unmasked self.

"Is it just me or those two are really getting along, Victoria?" Don Alejandro asked one Friday morning at entering the tavern and seeing his son, sat at a table, caught up in a conversation with Jessie.

Victoria glanced between the two and the old don.

"What can they have to talk about so much?" She wondered. "Every time they have a meal here together they stop paying attention to anyone else!"

"Well, Victoria, they are both young, unmarried... they may be trying to know each other a little better. I, for one, am quite happy to see Diego finally interested in a woman! You know, he has actually spent more time learning medicine since he's been helping the doctor than he has painting recently?" Added the old don, making Victoria wonder why he thought Diego acting differently was a good thing. "And I'm not saying he hadn't been studying the field quite intensely even before her arrival, nor that he is no longer fiddling with his… hobbies. But I have to admit I am happy to see him actually dedicated to something that gives him the chance to truly help people."

"I really don't see what he sees in her!" Victoria muttered, unable to restrain a sudden burst of jealousy.

"She is quite smart, Señorita, or so everybody says!" Mendoza answered at hearing her comment and failing to really understand it. He had just entered the tavern with the Alcalde, and headed straight for the bar. "I think Don Diego has finally found someone in this pueblo who can challenge him at an intellectual level!"

"Intellectual! Ha!" De Soto cut in. "What would those two have to challenge each other about?" He asked as he suddenly became upset. "Come, Sergeant, we have work to do!"

"But, Alcalde, we just came in for lunch!" Mendoza reminded him.

"I have lost my appetite, Sergeant. Let's go!" The Alcalde ordered.

"But... Alcalde... my appetite is quite intact!" Mendoza protested as he regretfully followed him out.

"I think he really dislikes the new doctor!" Don Alejandro remarked to Victoria as De Soto left the tavern.

As he exited to the plaza, annoyed, the Alcalde stumbled on a rock and fell rather awkwardly, fracturing his leg. His screams of pain made everyone exit the tavern. Diego and Jessie kneeled next to him to examine the damages.

"How in the world did you manage to break your leg on the plain ground?" Jessie inquired with a chuckle after feeling the bone through De Soto's pants.

"This is no laughing matter, Señorita! I am in serious pain!" Ignacio replied.

"We should take him to the office." Diego suggested. "Could you have some lancers transport him there, Sergeant?" He added, addressing Mendoza.

As they arrived, Jessie put on a white apron and started bossing Diego around as she usually did in the office.

"Cut his pants off!" Jessie asked.

"Cut my pants off? Why?" De Soto protested as Diego submitted, rather amused.

The petite lady in front of him had been causing more embarrassment to De Soto in a couple of weeks than Zorro had managed in years, and he was happy to encourage her.

"I can't treat the leg through the pants, can I?" She answered. "Hurry, Diego!"

Diego cut off the pants on the Alcalde's left leg then, at Jessie's signal, he gave him some ether to sniff, and De Soto fell asleep on the table.

Jessie put the bone back in place, sutured the wound and bandaged the leg with two long splints, as Diego assisted her. When all was done, she asked the Sergeant to bring a nightshirt for the Alcalde and proceeded to cut off the pants from his other leg.

ZZZ

The Alcalde woke up a few hours later in one of the beds installed in the second room, where the doctor's living quarters were. He was, in fact, separated by her own bed by nothing more than a curtain.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"In my chamber." Jessie answered. "Since I hardly think your men are capable of taking care of you, I shall do it myself."

"Take care of me? Wh...What do you mean?" De Soto inquired rather panicked.

"Obviously, a broken leg requires some taking care of. You won't be able to move much for a month, or it might break again. Or the bones can move and you would end up with a very strangely-shaped leg, Alcalde. So I will make sure you have everything you need right here!" She answered with a smile.

"Señorita, this is highly inappropriate! A single woman...my needs..." He tried to protest

"How many times do I have to tell you I am a doctor?" She asked. "Now, is there anything you need? Food? Water? Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"I can find my own way to the latrine, Doctor, no need for your assistance!" De Soto replied.

"You, Señor Alcalde, will not move from that bed! If you need it, I will bring you a chamber pot and I will help you use it!" She informed him.

"Help... Help me use it? Señorita!" He protested, ever more amazed at the woman's ideas.

"Alcalde! I am a Doctor before being a Señorita. I assure you, there is no part of the male anatomy I have not seen and studied in great detail, thus I very much doubt that you have anything special to show me!" Jessie told him, ending the discussion by leaving De Soto livid.

ZZZ

The next day, Sergeant Mendoza was sent to the De la Vega Hacienda with an urgent message from the Alcalde for Diego to visit him.

"Good afternoon, Ignacio!" Diego greeted at entering the room. "The Sergeant said you asked for me?"

"Don Diego! Thank God you are here!" De Soto uttered with enthusiasm as he entered the room. "Only you can save me from this dreadful woman! Please, you must convince her to let me return to the garrison! I tried to speak to Mendoza about it, but he is more afraid of her than he is of me!"

"Well, Ignacio," Diego replied with a smile, "I regret to say that I cannot be of much help, either! But, do not worry, Alcalde! You are in good hands! Doctor Kent is a trained physician, and she will make sure you will be on your feet in no time!"

"But, Diego," De Soto made a last try, "she is a woman! An unmarried, dreadful woman who won't listen to reason! It is certainly not decent to... "

"I am so sorry, Ignacio, but I have to agree with her on this! Keeping you here is most certainly the best we can do for you!" Diego stopped his rambling, laughing on the inside at the man's visible anguish.

"De Soto looked at him and thought to himself that the caballero, being a weakling, was probably just as intimidated by Jessie as the Sergeant and the other men in town.

"Thank you for nothing, Diego!" He said as he sank into the bed and turned his head away, inviting his former colleague to leave.

A few days later, the Alcalde and Jessie were sharing a dinner Victoria had made for them. Jessie was not much of a cook, so the tavern was her only source of nourishment.

"So... Alcalde... do you play cards?" She asked all of a sudden.

"Cards?" De Soto wondered if he had heard right.

"Yes. I feel rather bored today, and it is only 7. Let's play Veintiuno*!" She replied.

"A lady playing Veintiuno?" He asked again.

"All my colleagues at the University were playing, so I had to learn. It was hard enough to be accepted as a woman, so beating them at cards helped..." She explained. "After they got over themselves…"

"I can assure you no woman can beat me, Señorita!" The Alcalde answered her challenge, sure this was his opportunity to put her in her place.

"Why don't we test that statement, then? Here!"

As she said that, she took out a deck of cards which she mixed with the dexterity of a professional player, impressing De Soto, who soon realized he stood no chance against her. He was mad at first because he was being bested by a woman. By that woman! Then, he slowly started to admire her skill, and soon ended up admiring her.

ZZZ

The days soon entered a strange routine for De Soto, who started feeling rather lucky for having broken his leg, since it gave him the opportunity to spend some time being fuss over by Jessie.

Another evening, after he lost all of the ten card games they played together, she asked him:

"Why did you become Alcalde, Ignacio de Soto?"

"What? Why? Well, I am a military man. It was an obvious step in my career. Besides, this pueblo needed me!" He assured her

"But you are no good at it! You make up laws that only serve your interests, you arrest innocents instead of guilty men and, from what I hear, the only time you ever got a commendation for your work here was not even for something you did." She continued questioning.

"Señorita!" He tried to defend himself. "You may have seen me at my most vulnerable, but I don't allow you to judge my actions!"

"I am not. All I wanted to point out is that, since you are not exactly made for the job, perhaps you would be happier doing something else!" She concluded.

"I can assure you I am very happy with my position. And when I catch..."

"Zorro... yes, I know all about your obsession with the man. I don't understand it, though! Tell me, why is it that you want him so badly?" She asked.

"Why? Because the man is a public menace! He has attacked my men more times than I can count, he can incite riots, he meddles with army equipment, he contradicts my orders, he breaks into my safe and steals the money... the man knows no limits!" He replied, annoyance in his voice.

"But he also saved your men's lives – and yours, from what I've heard - rescued innocents before you mistakenly executed them, never keeps any money he takes from you, returns the money stolen by bandits, catches criminals and brings them to justice. Frankly, Alcalde, the man seems to be much better at your job than you are!" She remarked, determined to torture him a little longer.

"Was De la Vega who told you all this nonsense? I always knew his family must be in league with that masked menace, and I assure you that you are seriously misinformed!" The Alcalde replied with indignation.

"Diego? No, not at all." Jessie told him. "Actually, come to think about it, I don't believe I ever talked about Zorro with Diego, which is rather strange since it is the only subject anyone else in this pueblo wants to discuss..."

"Well, in that case, I may say my esteem for De la Vega has just increased." De Soto stated. "Zorro!" He puffed. "I, for one, cannot understand the people's fascination with a bandit!"

"He is no ordinary bandit, Alcalde. Even you know that!" She answered. "Tell me, is it true he rescued you from being executed by a Spanish Emissary?"

"Well, yes... but I would have hardly needed any rescue, had Zorro not put my leadership of this pueblo in a precarious position with his chaotic behavior!" He replied.

"You seem very sure of that. Have you ever considered you might be wrong?" Jessie wondered.

"Wrong? About what, Señorita?" He asked.

"About you. And about Zorro."

"Of course not!" He protested

"Perhaps you should! Good night, Ignacio!" She wished him a she headed for her bed.

"Yes... Good night, Doctor!"

De Soto frowned as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling and, for, perhaps, the first time, actually really started questioning himself and his actions. It was a strange feeling she was awakening in him, one he didn't understand quite well, yet. He didn't despise her as he believed he should, considering her behavior towards him. He didn't resent her for always defeating him or for all the humiliation she had caused him thus far. Instead, there was something about Jessie Kent that made Ignacio de Soto yearn for her approval, even if he could not reason, at that point, why did the opinion of the most exasperating woman he had ever known mattered so much to him. It was also why he couldn't make sense of his own inclination to do whatever she wanted him to do, instead of just put her in jail or in the stocks as he would have done, had it been Victoria or anyone else instead of her.

She again opened the subject a few days later, when De Soto confessed to her that Zorro had saved him several other times, risking his own life in the process. He also told her about the time he had been enslaved by that horrible Don Octavio, and how the masked outlaw saved him then, as well.

Jessie listened and, once more, asked him why he wanted to capture Zorro under such circumstances.

"Do you have any idea how many times that fiend has humiliated me?" He asked.

"How many times, and what did you do to deserve it?" She wondered.

"Nothing! All I want, all I ever wanted was what's best for Los Angeles."

"We both know that's not true, Alcalde. All you want is fame and glory. All he wants is what's best for the people. How many other men do you know to risk their lives helping those who want to kill them? He always seems to do the right thing, no matter what the circumstances, while you seem determined to do the opposite." She replied.

"Well… I am his opposite!" He pointed out before even realizing what he was saying. "I was appointed here by the King. I am an official, and he is an outlaw."

"An outlaw you seem to need, or God knows what kind of damage you might have done already! If you would have executed any of those men you have wrongfully accused over time, do you think there wouldn't have been consequences? Ignacio, from all I've learned so far since I've been here, Zorro has been your greatest ally, not your enemy. You just seem trapped in a strange game of cat and mouse, except the mouse is the one chasing the cat."

"Are you calling me a mouse?" De Soto asked enraged.

"Well… You are. You are the King Mouse around here. The cat could eat you and all the little mice you command, but, chooses not to. And, instead of being grateful for that, you try to capture it because you think other king mice will appreciate you more if you do. You're not doing it because you fear the cat might change its mind and resolve to end you all, as, I repeat, it could. You do not really fear Zorro, because you know by now that he has a conscience, and will always choose to save you and your men rather than harm you. So all you want is to execute a good person for the glory such deed would bring you. And you know that the your chances of actually capturing him are pretty slim. What you don't seem to consider is that if you, by some miracle, do capture him, you might still find that the result is not what you expect. The governor might assume all credit; the people might finally revolt; who knows, you might even find that you didn't want Zorro dead, after all." Jessie told him.

He denied her words then, unhappy about the point she was making, but, later, as he went over that discussion, he had to admit to himself that it might be true. Perhaps he was too caught up in a game of wits he always seemed to lose, and hadn't properly considered the consequences of winning. In his dreams, after capturing the masked menace, he was deemed a hero, the King himself showering him with titles, money and recognition. But what if that would not come to pass?

When he went to talk to Padre Benitez, after he had shot the Emissary, the Padre did his best to guide him towards a more selfless behavior, but that was not in his nature. He had overcome too much to achieve all he had achieved. He should have been born rich and have a carefree life, just like Diego, but his mother had been disinherited and he was born and grew up in poverty. Everything he had achieved, he achieved without any help from anyone. Furthermore, none of that would have been possible if he was selfless.

All that selfishness had, however, brought him to Los Angeles, where he was, for all intends and purposes, rather stuck. And, if Jessie was right, if there was no glory awaiting him after capturing Zorro, what was the point in fighting him, after all? Why was he still fighting him after all the masked man had done to help him and his men?

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

*Veintiuno = 21/Blackjack. My original version of this dialogue mentioned Poker, but further research pointed out the game was not yet invented in 1821, when the action in this story takes place, so I went with a game which existed since the days of Cervantes.


	5. The New Doctor and the Experiment

About a month after he had broken his leg, during which time nothing major happened in the pueblo, and Zorro only showed up twice, to deliver some bandits and cattle rustlers to justice, Ignacio was back on his feet, thanks to Jessie's care. His leg had mended quite nicely, even if he still needed to walk with a cane for a couple of weeks, and he was able to return to his office. He did so rather reticently and immediately found that he very much missed the young doctor.

The reason why he missed her, however, was not one he would have expected when they first met, nor during all that time she had spent embarrassing him. Truth was that he had fallen in love with her.

That was an epiphany he had had one afternoon, when he was watching her clean the room. Her hair was in disarray and she was in dire need of a bath, yet he thought he had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life, and just watched her mesmerized.

De Soto, however, also feared his love was doomed from the start, considering how perfect Jessie Kent and Diego de la Vega seemed for each other, and how many faults she found in him. He would have wanted to be better, but people don't change overnight. He did resolve to try, though, for, as long as the caballero did not officially start courting her, as Ignacio assumed he would, there was still hope.

He, thus, at first, simply started coming up with reasons to see her, which, Diego though, was a nice change from the Alcalde spending all his free time thinking of traps aimed at capturing his masked self.

De Soto would have declared his intentions, but was afraid he'd be ridiculed and she would not even accept him as a patient anymore if she knew the truth.

Every morning after returning to his quarters, Ignacio visited Jessie to make sure his leg was fine and the strange noise he had heard at getting out of bed didn't mean it was about to break again, or that the hand he had just fallen on wasn't broken as well, or even that a cut to his finger wasn't getting infected. After the third day, the Doctor was beginning to suspect he was hurting himself on purpose, but didn't say anything, just wondered if he'd eventually shoot himself in the leg only to make her take care of him a little longer.

In the afternoons, he'd usually visit insisting to pay for the morning consultation, even without the Doctor asking for money.

Encourage by her friendliness, he then started to properly court her in secret, mainly by paying children to take her small presents and flowers, anonymously. Jessie didn't need many clues to know whom the presents were from since De Soto came by half an hour after she'd received his first one, and pretended to just notice her new and 'exquisite' flower vase. She chuckled inwardly at his complete lack of subtlety, and stated that she would very much like to know who it was to have made her the gift, in the hope he would reveal his feelings for her. He smiled satisfied and confessed to nothing.

When another present came, three times more expensive and just as anonymous, she reached the decision that, if Ignacio wanted to play games, she might as well entertain herself. Thus, she made a point to complain to Diego about the gifts received, during their lunches, whenever the Alcalde was around and could overhear her, improvising ways to be dissatisfied with them. The caballero didn't need too many clues to the game she was playing, and was more than happy to help, since he found Ignacio's attempts at courting his friend rather amusing.

ZZZ

Several days after De Soto was completely healed, on a Thursday around noon, while Diego was helping his father and his men at the hacienda, a gang of bandits attacked the Bank of Los Angeles. With no Zorro there for the rescue, it was up to the lancers to stop the thugs.

In a matter of moments after the robbers left the bank with the bags of stolen money, the two sides found themselves in a standoff, the bandits taking cover behind some barrels deposited near the institution's entrance, firing at the soldiers trying to prevent their escape.

De Soto, who was eating at the moment it all started, a little too eager to get in on the fight, and wondering if Zorro was involved, exited the tavern without taking any precautions, finding himself caught in the crossfire.

Jessie followed him seconds later to see if anybody needed her help. While assessing the situation, keeping herself close to one of the tavern's pillars, she noticed one of the robbers aiming his gun at Ignacio from behind the barrels. Realizing he wasn't aware of the danger, seconds before the bandit pressed the trigger, she tackled the Alcalde, ending up shot in his stead.

The young woman lost consciousness as she touched the ground, and the bandits took advantage of De Soto and his men's shock to ride out of the pueblo, only a handful of lancers having the presence of mind to follow them.

"Get Diego de la Vega! Now!" De Soto ordered Mendoza, who mounted his horse and headed at full speed towards the De la Vega Hacienda.

ZZZ

Diego arrived together with Felipe about thirty minutes after the shooting, as De Soto was doing his best to stop the bleeding, but, by that time, the young woman had lost an important amount of the vital substance. It was the first thing Diego noticed, and the first step he knew needed done was a transfusion.

"Would you care to donate her your blood, Ignacio?" He asked, studying the list of compatible donors and finding that the Alcalde had the same blood type as Jessie.

De Soto had not answered Diego's appeal to have his blood tested, as many Los Angelinos had, especially since he had even disparaged the caballero's discovery as nonsense. However, while sedated to have his leg fixed, Jessie did take a blood sample anyway, to determine his group.

"Give her my blood, Diego? But... she is a woman. Surely a man can't give blood to a woman?!" De Soto replied making Diego ponder on the absurdity of the Alcalde's ideas.

"Blood is blood Ignacio. It has no gender." He answered.

Ignacio agreed and Diego asked him to take a seat on an armchair next to the doctor, in order for his son to take care of the transfusion, while he was working to get the bullet out and close the wound.

ZZZ

"Is she going to make it?" De Soto asked Diego a while later, as the latter was bandaging Jessie's now-sutured bullet wound.

"It is too early to say, Alcalde." He answered, saddened. "The bullet is out, but I am not sure how much damage it might have caused. "Sergeant! Have the lancers found the men who shot her?" He inquired of the lancer who had just moments earlier entered the office.

"No, Don Diego. The men have just returned. They lost their tracks at the Canyon Perdido." Mendoza answered.

"Incompetents! Oh, just wait till I get my hands on those bandits!" De Soto exclaimed, prompting Diego to wonder at his sudden outburst. "Form another search party, Sergeant! I want those men in my jail, and I will not accept failure!"

Several more hours passed and Jessie was still sleeping peacefully, Ignacio de Soto by her side, refusing to move from the chair he was in.

"Well," Diego uttered, "for now, there's not much more I can do. So far, there is no sign of infection so all she needs is rest. Frankly, that's also what I need. I think I'll ask Victoria and Pilar to help keep vigil on her till morning."

"No… Don't bother them, Don Diego. I'll stay. It's my life she saved. But shouldn't you be here? I would not know what to do if her condition worsens." The Alcalde told him.

"I am afraid there's not much I would be able to do either," Diego replied, "unless she develops a fever, in which case she will need cold compresses on her forehead to help lower it down. That, however, will only happen if there's an infection. If there's any change, though, send a man to the hacienda, and I will be here as soon as I can. If nothing changes, I'll be back at dawn."

Ignacio made a sign with his head, slightly upset at Diego's decision to leave Jessie's side, yet somehow relieved he was going.

ZZZ

"How is she, Diego?" Don Alejandro wondered when his son finally arrived home, two hours after Felipe.

"Resting for now. But I think she'll pull through. There's no sign of infection as of yet, and the bullet didn't seem to have caused much damage, but I can't be absolutely certain of that." He answered.

"Why haven't you brought her here? It would have been easier to care for her at the hacienda."

"He is well looked-after, Father. You don't need to worry. And there's not much I can do if I don't get some rest."

Don Alejandro shook his head disapprovingly as his son headed towards his room, but headed for his just ten minutes later.

ZZZ

That night, Zorro went after the bandits. It was full moon, and he headed straight for the canyon. Searching the places he knew to be the most secluded there, he found the thugs sharing the money and making fun of the stupid lancers who were unable to find them.

"Señores, do you perhaps believe you can hide from justice as easily as you hide from the lancers?" The black-clad man asked from atop his stallion.

"Zorro!" They exclaimed.

Surprised, the four men hardly had any time to realize what was happening when Zorro launched on them with the rage of a mad bull, hitting them and knocking them to the ground.

"A good woman is near death because of your greed! Yet I do not know, Señores, whether to pity her or you, for what the Alcalde will do once he'll have you at his mercy! And you can be sure I do not intend to stop him!" Zorro threatened them.

As he said that, he tied them up, took the money, and delivered them to the lancers which, in the Alcalde's absence, didn't even try to shoot or to follow him.

"Thank you, Zorro!" Mendoza said. "The Alcalde will be very pleased to have them in jail."

As they took the prisoners, Zorro left the pueblo, but soon doubled-back and entered the doctor's office through the roof, and was surprised at seeing Ignacio praying next to Jessie. The scene seemed quite emotional to him, so he allowed De Soto to finish before making his presence known.

"How is she doing, Alcalde?" He asked, convinced De Soto would not pick a fight with him this time.

Ignacio turned and saw him, but, as Zorro predicted, made no move to attack his mortal enemy.

"She is breathing. That's all that matters right now." He answered in a faint voice. "Did you bring in the bandits?" He then asked.

"Yes. Mendoza just escorted them to the jail."

"Good. Good. Thank you for your assistance, Zorro." Ignacio replied and refocused on Jessie.

"Good night, Alcalde!" Zorro wished him with a smile as he left through the front door, whistling for Tornado.

ZZZ

Diego came in early the next morning, more tired than the previous evening since he had barely slept for a couple of hours. At entering the room, he found the Alcalde asleep on a chair next to Jessie. The same image he encountered the next few days, as Ignacio de Soto refused to leave her side.

Jessie woke up the fourth morning, seeing Ignacio asleep in the chair next to her bed. She looked at him smiling and, as he started to wake up, she pretended she was still asleep.

"Any change?" Diego inquired as he entered the room just a few minutes later.

"No, not yet." De Soto replied. "Can't you do anything, Diego?"

"All we can do is wait." The caballero answered with a sigh. "The worst has passed, Ignacio. The wound is healing fine, there is no sign of internal bleeding or infection. If she managed to survive this long, I believe she has very good chances to recover soon. Why don't you go eat something? You need your strength, Alcalde." He added with a genuinely kind tone. "I will look after her."

"I can hardly think of food when she is lying here between life and death." De Soto uttered, in a reproaching tone he couldn't control.

Diego smiled kindly. So he really is able to care for someone other than himself, he thought.

"Go eat something, Ignacio! There's not much you can do for her. I will let you know if there is any change. And you are still Alcalde, you know?" He added.

"Yes, yes… Alright… I will be back in half an hour." De Soto eventually agreed, irritated at Diego deciding to remind him of his official duties.

As he closed the door, Jessie took Diego's hand and stared at him.

"How long has he done that, Diego?" She asked.

"Jessie! How are you feeling?" He inquired, ignoring her question.

"I'm better. Tell me what I asked!" She demanded.

"Ignacio has been by your side most of the time since you got shot." Diego informed her with a smile.

He then continued to recount for her how De Soto donated his blood to save her, how mad he was with the men who shot her, how he had all his lancers dispatched with orders to bring them to justice.

"Let's not tell him anything just yet. For all you know, I am still unresponsive." She asked Diego when he finished.

"I am sure it would make him very happy to find out you recovered! Why would you fake being unconscious?" Diego wondered with some surprise at her request.

"Because I want to see his face when I die on him and miraculously return to life." She answered seriously.

Diego looked at her trying to understand what was going on in her mind.

"Take it as an experiment, Diego! You like experiments. Let's test if De Soto actually has a heart!" She challenged.

The tall caballero smiled wickedly. He somehow pitied De Soto, but he understood quite well the purpose of her plan.

"Alright." He agreed. "I won't tell him… yet. When he returns I will make up some excuse, and go to the tavern. You have half an hour, and he'd better know you are fine when I come back!"

"I believe we have a deal, my friend!" She answered with a smile.

De Soto finished his breakfast in 20 minutes, finding the food tasteless, went by his office, where Mendoza informed him about some nonsense he didn't even try to pay attention to, and hurried to return by Jessie's side.

ZZZ

"Oh, Ignacio, you are back." Diego exclaimed as he entered through the door. "Perfect! I need to go gather some herbs for a plant extract that might be of help. I will not be gone long."

"Yes... I... I guess I can stay with her a little longer." The Alcalde answered, trying to conceal his delight at the fact that Diego was leaving.

About twenty minutes later, Jessie pretended to stop breathing and let her limbs fall idle by her side. Ignacio panicked, tried to call Diego, remembering he was away, then checked if she was breathing using a mirror.

"No, no, no! Please, breathe! I... I don't know what to do! That idiot said you would be alright! I should have known he had no idea what he was doing! You can't die on me now! Please, God, I know I don't talk to you very often but, please, let her live!" He muttered, devastated.

As he said that, Jessie took in a breath of air and opened her eyes staring right at him. He became even more livid than he already was.

"Are you alive?" He asked.

"Yes! I seem to be." She answered as if nothing had happened. "How long have I been here?"

"Well, about four days I believe." Ignacio answered.

"Four days? And you are not sure? Shouldn't you know that for certain?" She asked him.

"Well, I... I am rather tired..." He tried to excuse his doubt.

"Yes, your Alcalde duties must weight on you. Tell me, did you and your men capture those bandits, or did Zorro have to come to the rescue?" She continued asking.

"All that matters is that they are in jail and you are..."

"Alive? Thanks to Diego, I assume, since no one else in this pueblo seems qualified to operate on a person!" She answered in a clear attempt to annoy him.

"Yes, yes. Diego did manage to take the bullet out and close the wound. I, myself, donated you some of my..."

"Gracias a Dios for Diego! The man is a Godsend!" She interrupted

"Right. Thank God for Diego..."

"Can you call him? I am sure he must be very worried about me!" She asked, looking for the Alcalde's reaction.

There was no way for him to hide the jealousy flickering on his face.

"Yes, he... actually went for some..."

"I am back!" Diego announced at entering the door. "Jessie!" He exclaimed, making her realize how good an actor he could be. "How are you feeling?"

"Quite well, Diego! You must have done a really good job since I hardly feel any pain. Do you have the bullet? Will it leave a scar?" She bombarded him with questions she did not really care for him to answer.

"Well..."

"Alcalde, why don't you let Diego sit next to me? We have much to discuss!" She ordered him.

"Yes, of course. Diego..." Ignacio agreed rather upset at being exiled. "I will be in my office should you need me." He added.

"We won't." Jessie maliciously informed him.

"Why are you treating him like this?" Diego asked after Ignacio left.

"He needs this, trust me!" Was her reply. "From the day I walked into this pueblo I decided to make a new man out of him! He is quite a challenge, though. But he can be better! He might even have a good heart hidden in there somewhere." She concluded with a loving smile, similar to the one Diego had many times seen on Victoria's face when talking about Zorro.

"You do realize you almost died, don't you?" Diego asked her, baffled. "Whatever possessed you to jump in front of that bullet?"

"I know, Diego! But I cannot repair a man if he is dead, can I? Plus, I am an optimist. I see the opportunity that the bullet gave me."

"But, why De Soto?" He insisted, unable to fully understand his friend.

"I don't know. There's something about him. It's like asking Zorro why Victoria. I don't know why. I just know it's right. Or, better said, I know he needs me!" Was the only answer she could give him, and Diego smiled, hoping that, indeed, Jessie might make Ignacio into the man he had hoped he'd be when he first came to Los Angeles.


	6. The New Doctor and the Marriage

Jessie's condition improved daily, but De Soto had no intention to leave her. He never dared say a word about his feeling because he was even more certain it was a lost cause, yet felt rather encouraged when she agreed to let him stay and keep watch over her for a few more nights.

During the day, Diego was mostly at the medical office, taking care of the new patients, except for Wednesday, when he was at The Guardian's office, even though Felipe had been taking over much of the work on the newspaper. Ignacio was not very happy with the caballero's presence in the other room, especially since he tended to interrupt them to ask Jessie for advice on medical issues.

Victoria was also visiting a few times every day, as she had done during the time Jessie was sleeping, to help her friend with her more personal needs and to bring her food. Unwilling to give himself away, whenever the taverness or someone else visited, Ignacio patiently waited at the garrison for the guest to leave, then hurriedly returned to the medical office, eagerly awaiting the evenings when he and Jessie would finally be left alone.

When there was just the two of them there, the Alcalde and the woman he loved would play some cards or he'd read for her. Sometime they'd just talk – about anything and everything. Some conversations, mainly those which allowed him to know her better, were very pleasant, even funny. Less funny was her insistence on sharing random thoughts, almost every day, about how great Diego was. Those conversations were rather torturous for De Soto, who was still pretending an interest in whatever she was saying, not even remarking that Jessie was testing from time to time to see if he was, indeed, listening.

A little over a week after waking up, Jessie Kent reached the conclusion that she had recovered well enough, and started working again.

De Soto did not like that. He tried to convince her that she still needed to stay in bed and that she, at least, needed supervision, just so that he could stay with her a bit longer, but she was a very obstinate woman – at least in his view.

ZZZ

It was a Tuesday and the Alcalde - who was in a rather bad mood considering he had been sleeping in his own quarters for a couple of night already - together with his faithful Sergeant headed to the tavern for lunch. Just at reaching the terrace, De Soto turned to look towards the plaza and his eyes fell on the pueblo's doctor and her colleague, strolling, her right arm resting on his left.

"Look at them, Sergeant!" De Soto said. "Do you see how she's holding onto him like she's glued to his arm? I! I was the one who stood by her side all that time, and he gets all the credit! And why? What does he have that I don't?"

"Well, Alcalde, Don Diego is very wealthy, he is younger than you, tall, handsome, he is very intelligent and he did save her life!" Mendoza replied.

"I didn't ask for a list, Sergeant!" De Soto said as he entered the tavern.

"You seem to be in a bad mood today, Alcalde!" Victoria pointed out inquiringly as he sat at a table.

"Women! Why do you assume you know anything about what a man feels?" He replied dismissively.

"I think the Alcalde is a little bit upset with all the attention the Doctor is giving Don Diego these days." Mendoza dared to inform her in a whispered voice.

"Oh, Sergeant! What's the use? You've seen them! They will probably announce their engagement by the end of the week!" The Alcalde pointed out.

"Jessie and Diego?" Victoria asked dumbfounded. "Diego cannot possibly want to marry Jessie, can he?" She had no idea why, but the notion of the caballero married to another woman made her heart cringe.

"Why not? They make a nice couple." The Sergeant said looking at the pair in question through the open doors, completely missing the disbelief in Victoria's eyes. "They always have a lot to talk about, they are both intelligent, good looking... They will make beautiful children, don't you think so, Señorita?"

The taverness became quite upset, gave the Sergeant a spiteful look and left the table, heading for the kitchen, where she felt tears gathering in her eyes, and had to lean on the table to collect herself.

What is wrong with you? You love Zorro! She chided herself.

A few minutes later, after they sat down, the Alcalde and the Sergeant saw Jessie and Diego embracing each other, the scene prompting De Soto to lower his eyes in resignation. Diego headed for the church while Jessie entered the tavern.

"Sergeant, why don't you go eat at another table?" She said as she sat in front of De Soto.

"Si, Doctor! Right away." He obeyed, and rapidly left.

"What do you want?" The Alcalde questioned.

"I may well ask you the same question, Ignacio!" She answered.

"Ha?" Was his only reply.

"Do you want to marry me or not?" She inquired.

"Marry... you?" He tried to confirm he was hearing right.

"Well, if you are not decided, maybe Diego would like to marry me, so I should, perhaps, return to him..." She concluded and was about to stand up.

"I… I thought you and Diego ̶ " He tried to say 'would marry', but she stopped him.

"Diego is a bit too goody-goody for my taste, to be honest. I would hardly change a single hair on his perfect head! You, on the other hand… you, my dear, I will mold like clay, and you will love me for it!" She said, a twisted smile brightening her face.

"Mold me!? A De Soto? You are mad, woman!" He reacted.

"Well, if that is all you have to say to me..." She rose to leave.

"Wait!" Ignacio caught her hand and slid off the bench to kneel in front of her. "Marry me! Please, oh God, will you stop torturing me, and just wed me already?" He begged her.

Jessie smiled triumphantly.

"Marry you... Yes! Stop torturing you? Not a chance! It is too much fun!" She answered. "We will marry Saturday at 5 p.m. I already asked Diego to arrange it with Padre Benitez. Look pretty, and don't be late!" She said as she left the table without so much as hugging him.

"What just happened?" De Soto asked, getting back on the bench as Mendoza came to congratulate him.

"I believe those beautiful children I was talking about earlier will be yours, Alcalde!" He answered.

Diego entered the tavern a little later, as De Soto was still under shock.

"I take it congratulations are in order, Alcalde!" The tall caballero said with a sincere smile.

"Yes, thank you, Don Diego! Thank you! Ah... Diego... would you care to be my Best Man?" He asked.

"Your… Best… Man?" Diego repeated with both confusion and surprise in his voice. "Shouldn't you ask the Sergeant?" He questioned. "Do you think he's alright?" Diego then asked Victoria who had also come to congratulate the Alcalde after hearing the news.

"I don't know." She answered, confused, and offered her friend a relieved smile as she stared a little at his face. He was not getting married, seemed in no way upset about that, and somehow that made everything right with the world once more. Victoria's smile widened.

"No... not the Sergeant. I would rather it was you, De la Vega." Ignacio said. "I've known you the longest."

Tried to kill me more often, as well. Diego thought. "I... I would be honored, Alcalde!" He agreed after pondering the irony of the situation, and not finding a valid reason to deny his request.

"Ignacio. You should just call me Ignacio..."

ZZZ

Don Alejandro was understandably upset by the news of the Alcalde's wedding to Doctor Kent. He had so wished she had chosen Diego. A woman like that, he thought, would be able to bring Diego down from the clouds. He was also convinced that his son had tried to court her, although he had, clearly, failed miserably, so he was pitying him for having to be the Best Man at the wedding.

In turn, however, Diego found the event to be the best opportunity for him to fulfill a promise he had made De Soto, that past January, on a day that insisted on repeating itself. The Alcalde, of course did not remember that promise, just as no one else who had witnessed it remembered either, except for the De la Vega heir. Yet, he felt honor-bound to respect it anyway.

When he first told his father what was the present he thought to make to the newlyweds, Don Alejandro refused to hear about it and walked out of the room. The second time Diego opened the subject, the two managed to have a conversation and, the third time, the old don allowed his son to persuade him, even if he still changed his mind a few times after agreeing.

"Come on, Diego, courage!" Don Alejandro encouraged his son the day of the wedding. "You are the Best Man! You cannot be late!"

"Did you prepare the gift?" Diego asked.

"Yes, here it is." Don Alejandro replied. "Although, I don't understand Son, why make such a gift to De Soto? The man has been nothing but trouble since he came here."

"He also saved my life, Father, may I remind you? Plus, I am not doing it for De Soto, but for Jessie." He bluntly lied.

"It is a shame, Diego! How could you let such a woman escape through your fingers? And for De Soto, no less, Son?" Don Alejandro complained.

"Well, Father, the heart wants what the heart wants, and she does seem to be quite a good influence on our Alcalde." Diego answered, decided to let his father believe whatever he wanted, in the hope that he might stop nagging him to get married, at least for a while.

"Yes, that might be true..." His father approved. "You know the Sergeant just told me that De Soto asked the lancers yesterday not to fire on Zorro? Love does make a man do all sorts of unexpected things. I just hope you might one day feel that way, Diego!"

ZZZ

The reception took place at the tavern, and, when it was over and the guests were beginning to take their leave, Diego, Don Alejandro and Felipe approached the Bride and Groom, and offered them a paper as a wedding present.

"It's from all of us, although my father is the main contributor, of course." Diego told them.

"Well, thank you, all! What is it?" Jessie asked as her new husband was opening the paper.

"It is the deed to the De la Vega eastern vineyards." He answered, surprised.

"It was Diego's idea." Don Alejandro told them.

"There is a house on the property, but, as a personal contribution to the gift, I would be happy to help with transforming it into a real hacienda." Diego added.

"You are giving us part of your best lands?" De Soto asked flabbergasted.

"Thank you, Diego! Thank you so much, Don Alejandro, Felipe!" Jessie uttered, standing up to embrace and kiss them on their cheeks.

"You're welcome, Doctor." Don Alejandro replied with a rather forced smile, still trying to understand his son's reasons for the gift.

They left the table as Ignacio was still baffled, re-reading the deed.

"I almost had him executed." He mumbled.

"Executed? Whom?" Jessie asked.

"Don Alejandro. I tried to have him executed for being Zorro. Why would he give us such a present? It must be worth as much as the price on that outlaw's head!"

"Because he is a good man?" Jessie offered an explanation.

Ignacio didn't answer, just continued staring at the paper before him, feeling that there was some other reason for the De la Vegas' gift, one which he had, somehow, forgotten.

ZZZ

The two newlyweds spent their first night together in Jessie's room. They were both a bit intoxicated by the time they arrived, and rather tired from the dancing. Still, when Ignacio looked into his new wife's eyes, the only thing he could think of was that he was, quite probably, the luckiest man alive. That feeling became a certainty as the night progressed, and he was allowed to kiss and make love to the beautiful woman who, by some miracle, agreed to marry him.

It was all he could think about for the rest of the night, after Jessie fell asleep in his arms. For hours, he only stared at the ceiling, one arm enveloping the young woman, his mind going through every single event in his life which had put them in each other's path, from his decision to leave for California - hoping to make a name for himself in one of the most troublesome outposts of the Spanish Empire - to him being trapped there by his utter failure to capture Zorro, to Doctor Hernandez's decision to leave and Jessie's decision to accept to take over for him. And, for once, he felt truly grateful towards his nemesis, for it had been thanks to him that he and Jessie even had the chance to meet.


End file.
